A Different Way
by Dark Whispers
Summary: [AU] What if Inuyasha wasn't the first person Kagome met when she fell through the well? Instead, she bumps into Miroku who, since he is such a gentleman, decides to help Kagome on her way home. Of course, it's easier said than done. MirKag
1. A Different Beginning

~*A Different Way*~  
  
Chapter 1: A Different Beginning  
  
Kagome sighed as she climbed up the steps leading to her home.  
  
'I just have to live at a shrine, don't I?' she thought while panting. 'I hate these stupid steps. . .'  
  
She had just gotten home from a rather bad day at school, and to make matters worse, she had to study for a math test tomorrow as well.  
  
'Same thing everyday; eat, go to school, sleep. . .I wish my life was just a little more exciting.'  
  
When she finally made it to her house, she stepped inside and removed her shoes. Dropping her book bag near the door, she shuffled into the kitchen.  
  
"SUPRISE!"  
  
Kagome almost fell backwards as her mother, grandfather, and brother popped out from behind various countertops. She had completely forgotten that today was her fifteenth birthday.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Kagome!" Souta chirped.  
  
A smile spread across Kagome's face as she ruffled her brother's hair.  
  
"Thanks squirt."  
  
Kagome's family sang 'Happy Birthday' to her, sounding completely wretched, but she felt that it was the thought that counted. As she stared at the candles on her cake, she tried to think of something to wish for.  
  
'I wish that my life wasn't so dull,' she thought, before blowing her candles out with one breath.  
  
In the well house, the wooden boards over the aged dry well glowed with a mysterious light before the ofuda on top of it was lifted off by a gust of wind, landing on the dusty floor.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that night, Kagome was up in her room, trying her best to understand the math that would be on her test tomorrow.  
  
She was failing miserably.  
  
'The hypotenuse of a triangle is the what of 'a' multiplied by the what?'  
  
Sighing, she crumpled up another piece of paper before throwing it at the garbage can next to her desk where it landed with her other failed attempts.  
  
'Whose bright idea was it to use letters in math anyway?'  
  
Kagome glanced at her digital clock which read 8:48 in bold red. She groaned. There was no way she was going to be ready for that math test tomorrow. Nevertheless, she continued studying diligently, only stopping to glance out her window every now and then to stare at the well house outside.  
  
The well house on the Higurashi Shrine housed a well that had been dry for many years known as 'The Bone Eater's Well.' Kagome never gave the structure much thought. Her grandfather never let her or Souta in the well house since the building was quite old and slightly dangerous.  
  
She didn't understand what her sudden fascination was with it. It was as if something was beckoning her to go into the well house. For what reason, she didn't know, but she didn't have time to think about it now. She had a math test to worry about, and nothing, I repeat, nothing, was going to stop her from acing the test.  
  
"Kagome!" Souta whined, pushing the door to her room open.  
  
Kagome suppressed the urge to strangle her brother. Instead, she banged her head against the desk in frustration.  
  
Of course, that didn't help her at all.  
  
"Kagome, you need to help me! I was taking the garbage out and Buyo ran past me and got away. I think he went into the well house!"  
  
Kagome shrugged, trying to concentrate on her math. "Why do I need to help you? You can get Buyo by yourself."  
  
Souta mumbled something while shuffling his feet. Kagome, however, already knew the reason.  
  
"Don't tell me your scared," Kagome said, rolling her eyes. "It's only the well house."  
  
Souta gazed at her pleadingly, and she knew she was defeated.  
  
"Fine, I'll go get Buyo, but you're coming with me. You need to stop being afraid of the dark; you'll end up being the only eleven year old afraid of the dark."  
  
With that, she dragged Souta down the stairs, grabbing a flashlight and her shoes on the way out. She marched determinedly towards the well house. The ancient building loomed ahead of her, looking slightly eerie in the dark. Pushing aside the chills she was getting, Kagome pushed the door to the well house open and stepped inside. Souta followed reluctantly.  
  
The flashlight clicked on, and the light blinded Kagome for a moment. Blinking, rapidly to adjust she shined the light along the floor while calling Buyo's name.  
  
"Kagome, I don't like it in here," Souta stated, shuddering.  
  
"Shhh! I thought I heard something. It sounded like scratching."  
  
She stepped closer to the well, where the noise seemed to be coming from.  
  
"Please, I want to leave now! We can find Buyo in the morning!" Souta pleaded.  
  
Kagome ignored him a placed a hand on the wooden boards covering the well. Dust coated it heavily, but it felt warm, as if it was glowing with life. She was about to lift one of the boards when she felt something wrap around her leg. She screamed and dropped the flashlight in shock, plunging both of them into darkness.  
  
"Kagome?!" Souta called out frantically.  
  
He felt along the floor for the flashlight, sighing with relief when his hand brushed against it. He turned it on with shaking hands, and groaned with exasperation.  
  
"Buyo, you scared the heck out of us!"  
  
"Meow?"  
  
Kagome lifted the cat up, muttering about dumb cats.  
  
"Okay, we can go now, Souta. Hey, what's with the face?"  
  
Souta was staring at something behind Kagome, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. He lifted a hand and pointed in the direction of the well shakily. Kagome turned slowly and saw a most horrifying monster.  
  
The centipede like creature had the face and hair of a woman and six arms. It hissed softly, acidic saliva dripping onto the floor.  
  
"You have it. . .give me the Shikon!"  
  
Kagome gaped. All of this was being processed very slowly, and before she knew it, the centipede demon had grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, pulling her into the well, leaving Souta, Buyo, and her entire world behind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Miroku was lying on the forest floor while enjoying the comforting chirping of the crickets and the occasionally hoot of an owl. Today had been a particularly rough day for the monk. He had not managed to find a village in his travels and was forced to sleep outdoors for the night. The fire he had made earlier had almost completely burned out, only a few softly glowing embers remained. Sometimes he wondered what life would be like if he was a normal monk, without the curse.  
  
He lifted his gloved hand up to his face and scowled at it. The only thing that protected him from getting sucked into that cursed void at that very moment was a glove and a pair of measly prayer beads. Of course, that wouldn't hold forever. In only a few years he would meet the same fate as his father. Miroku would be stuck inside the endless void of his wind tunnel forever. It was not a fate he was looking forward to.  
  
'I'll find you, Naraku, and I will make you pay. I will make you suffer for casting this curse upon me and my ancestors. When I'm done with you, you will beg for mercy!'  
  
Miroku wasn't usually violent, but the memory of his father getting pulled into his own wind tunnel always made him bitter. He had to find Naraku and kill him. That was the only way to free him and his descendants of the curse.  
  
He gave a frustrated sigh and sat up. It was obvious that sleep would not come easily to him tonight. He decided to walk around and find a spring he could bath in. He picked up his staff, the rings on it clanging softly. Miroku was camping in a wooded area known as Inuyasha's Forest. The forest had been named after a hanyou that was killed fifty years ago, and it was said that he haunted the woods, killing any trespassers. Miroku scoffed at the myth. He found it utterly ridiculous.  
  
He had only been in that particular forest once or twice, but he knew of the Bone Eaters Well nearby. He figured that if he couldn't find a place to bath, he could at least get a drink and quickly hurried towards it.  
  
The forest, which had been almost eerily quiet, was pierced with a shrill scream. Miroku ran towards the source of the scream. It had sounded like a woman, and Miroku was always prepared to help a damsel in distress.  
  
When he entered the clearing that housed the well, he was surprised to see a scantily clad woman running towards him screaming rather loudly.  
  
"My lady, are you o-oomph!"  
  
Kagome ran right into him, knocking both of them to the forest floor. Kagome panted heavily while Miroku lied still, completely winded.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said, breathless. "I don't know where I am, and there was this. . .thing that grabbed me from the well house and pulled me into the well and now I don't know where I am!"  
  
Miroku sat up, rubbing the back of his neck where it had hit a tree root. He gripped the girl's shoulders in an attempt to stop her from becoming more hysterical than she already was.  
  
Her wavy, black hair was windswept and her clothes mussed. Her eyes were very puzzling to him. They were a mix of gray and blue, and it was such an odd combination, that he couldn't tell what color they truly were. He stared, taking in all of her features; from her soft, pink lips, to her rising and falling chest, to her long legs. Miroku only stopped his examination when he saw she was becoming very flustered under his gaze.  
  
"How about we start this conversation again?" Miroku suggested. "My name is a Miroku. I am a monk of the finest kind, and I am at your service Lady. . ."  
  
"Kagome," she replied, holding out her hand for him to shake.  
  
Much to her surprise, Miroku took her small hand gently and kissed it while gazing deeply into her eyes. Kagome blushed deeply.  
  
'I can definitely get used to this guy.'  
  
"Lady Kagome, I think it would be wise to return to my camp. These woods are perilous at night, and I wouldn't want any harm to come of you."  
  
Kagome nodded as he helped her to her feet. She wobbled slightly but soon regained her balance. The two of them walked off into the night and back to Miroku's camp.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kagome had been extremely terrified when the demon pulled her into the well. She struggled and screamed at the thing until a strange blue light appeared from her hands, blasting the creature into pieces. She had quickly climbed out of the well, and tried to figure out where in the name of God she was. She had gotten a little freaked out when she found a spider on her shirt, but everything was fine now that she found Miroku.  
  
Miroku. . .  
  
He was very cute, with his mysterious eyes, short pony-tail, and no doubt well sculpted body hidden underneath his robes, and yet. . .he seemed to carry an air of sadness with him. Anyway, he was definitely someone Kagome would like to get to know better.  
  
When they reached Miroku's camp, Kagome told him her story, and they deducted that she had somehow been pulled into the past. She had started to panic, fearing she would never get home, but Miroku assured her that they would try tomorrow.  
  
"It's not safe to room the woods at night," he had said.  
  
Now both of them were sitting on opposite sides of the completely burnt out fire, knowing that sleep would not be with them for awhile. Kagome estimated that it was sometime around 11:30, but with everything that had happened, she found it impossible to sleep.  
  
'Looks like I'll be missing my math test tomorrow,' she though ruefully.  
  
"Lady Kagome, you seem to be a little cold."  
  
Kagome looked at Miroku from across the fire and realized that he was right. Her uniform didn't provide much cover, and she had goose bumps on her arms and legs. Miroku sat down next to her and removed his outer robe. He draped it across her shoulders like a cape, and Kagome clinged to it for warmth. She smiled at him but was startled when he wrapped an arm around her waist. She felt heat rise in her cheeks and glanced at him nervously. He smiled back innocently and his hand dipped lower to caress her thigh. Her eyes widened in surprise before she realized what was happening and slapped him out of reflex.  
  
"What the hell was that?!"  
  
Miroku winced as he pressed a hand to his cheek. "Lady Kagome, your power is only out-matched by your beauty."  
  
"That has to be the worst pick-up line I ever heard," Kagome stated in disbelief.  
  
"I'm sorry for touching you without permission, my lady, but I was unable to help myself."  
  
"You have ten seconds to move yourself to the other side of this camp. If you are not out of range by then, I cannot be held accountable for any injuries you obtain."  
  
"I'm sorry, Lady Kagome, but it won't happen again!"  
  
She glared at him and he quickly moved away, slightly afraid of facing her wrath, but all the more determined to win her heart.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kagome moaned as sunlight seeped through her eyelids. It was morning, and time to find a way to get her home. Miroku was already up and cooking breakfast. The smell of eggs was a warm wake-up call for her nose. She greeted Miroku cheerily, causing him to raise an eyebrow at the transition that had been made from the night before and the morning. He was lucky that Kagome believed in second chances, and she had pretty much forgiven him for letting his hands wander.  
  
They ate and then left the clearing. They walked in silence until they reached a fork in the road.  
  
"I think the well is to the right," Miroku stated.  
  
Kagome shook her head slowly. "I. . .I have this feeling. . .I think we should go to the left, Miroku. I mean, I don't have to be back at this very moment, and we can always just come back this way, right? Something tells me we need to go left."  
  
Miroku shrugged. "All right then. Left it is."  
  
He grabbed her hand and continued to walk. Kagome watched him suspiciously, making sure he wasn't going to grope her again. After a few moments, when she saw no signs of lechery, she turned her eyes back to the path and hummed cheerfully as they walked along. Miroku found her cheerfulness contagious, and he found himself feeling happier than he had felt in a long time. There was just something about this girl. . .  
  
Kagome stopped humming abruptly, staring ahead at the site in front of her. A tall tree that she recognized from her time stood tall in the clearing. The Goshinboku was still huge, even five-hundred years in the past, but that wasn't what had surprised Kagome. There was a teenage boy will long white hair and fuzzy dog ears pinned to the tree by vines. Protruding from his heart was an arrow. Kagome looked up in wonder and stepped closer, Miroku hovering anxiously.  
  
"Who is he?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I think he's Inuyasha, the half-demon" Miroku breathed in amazement. "He's the one this forest is named after. I thought it was just a myth!"  
  
Kagome climbed on top of one of the roots and studied the boy up closely. His eyes were closed in a seemingly peaceful sleep, but if you looked closely enough, you could see his face was slightly contorted, as if he was in pain when he was sealed to the tree. She was captivated by his ears and reached up, rubbing them with her fingers. She almost giggled at the way they twitched when she touched them. It reminded her of Buyo's reaction to petting.  
  
"Lady Kagome, get down from there now!"  
  
Kagome looked back at Miroku, slightly puzzled at the panicked look on his face. She realized what he was worried about though when she felt a clawed hand grip her wrist tight enough to snap it.  
  
"Oi, wench! What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
A/N: This is just the prologue, and I don't know if I'll continue this yet. Please tell me if you like it. ^_^ 


	2. A Different Inuyasha

~*A Different Way*~  
  
Chapter 2: A Different Inuyasha  
  
*Last time*  
  
"Lady Kagome, get down from there now!"  
  
Kagome looked back at Miroku, slightly puzzled at the panicked look on his face. She realized what he was worried about though when she felt a clawed hand grip her wrist tight enough to snap it.  
  
"Oi, wench! What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha sneered at Kagome's shocked expression. "What's the matter Kikyou? Weren't expecting to see me wake up? Looks like your little seal wasn't perfect."  
  
The claws clenched her wrist even tighter and lines of blood could be seen leaking from where her skin was punctured. She was beginning to see why he had been sealed to the tree in the first place. He wasn't as innocent as he looked.  
  
"Well, come on Kikyou," he said, sneering. "Use your miko magic to put me asleep for another fifty years. I can assure you that if you don't soon, I'm gonna make you wish you were never born!"  
  
BONK!  
  
Miroku whacked Inuyasha with his staff, giving him the distraction he needed in order to pull Kagome away. Kagome clung to him, looking back at Inuyasha warily. The hanyou looked surprised, but his expression quickly became bitter.  
  
"I see you've found yourself another man, Kikyou. I should've figured you would; no one wants to mate with a pathetic hanyou, right?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kagome raged, having finally found her voice. "My name is Kagome! KA-GO-ME! It's not Kikyou, and it's DEFINETELY not wench!"  
  
Inuyasha looked at her suspiciously for a second. His nose wrinkled. "You're right," he replied. "You're not Kikyou. Kikyou smelt a lot better."  
  
Kagome was seething. "Why you little. . ."  
  
"Lady Kagome, he obviously is just trying to provoke you. I suggest we redirect your attention to getting you home."  
  
Kagome nodded and followed Miroku out of the clearing. She only glanced back once, and when she did, she was surprised to see an expression of terrible sadness etched across the hanyou's face.  
  
However, she quickly shoved the image to the back of her mind and concentrated on getting home. She was hoping that she would be able to just jump into the well and get home, but something told her it wasn't going to be that easy.  
  
However, when she reached the clearing, she tried anyway. She jumped into the well while Miroku watched anxiously. As she fell, she squeezed her eyes closed tightly, hoping that when she opened them, she would be back home. She landed roughly on dirt and looked up hopefully, praying that she would see the wooden rough that covered the well in her time. Instead, she saw bright blue sky and fluffy clouds along with Miroku's curious face. Sighing heavily, she used the vines on the side of the well to climb to the brim once again. Once she reached the top, Miroku grasped her hands and helped to pull out.  
  
"I guess it didn't work," Miroku stated obviously.  
  
Kagome shook her head gloomily.  
  
"W-what if I never get home again? I bet everyone's really worried about me. . .and without me around no one's going to remember to feed Buyo. What if they spend their rest of their lives thinking I died or something?"  
  
Miroku lifted her chin with one hand in order to make her look him in the eye. "Don't lose hope so quickly, Lady Kagome. I promised you that I would help get you home, and I am a man that does not take promises very lightly. There is a village nearby that is home to a very knowledgeable miko. I'm sure she'll be able to help you find a way home."  
  
Kagome smiled at him thankfully, and the two of them started off towards to village, which wasn't very far away. They had almost reached the civilization when the ground began to quake and tremor. Miroku leaned on his staff in order to keep his balance.  
  
"What's happening?!" Kagome asked frantically.  
  
Without warning, the ground in front of then exploded, revealing the centipede demon that had pulled Kagome into the well. The demon looked extremely angry, and it smiled sinisterly when its eyes fell on Kagome.  
  
"Shikon!" it hissed. "Give it to me, girl! Give me the Shikon Jewel!"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kagome shouted before Miroku shoved her behind him protectively.  
  
"You lie! I can sense its power! Give it to me!"  
  
Miroku quickly removed the prayer beads off of his hand. "Run, Kagome! I'll buy us some time! Just run as far away from here as you can!"  
  
Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but one glare from Miroku sent her fleeing into the woods. Once she was gone, Miroku unleashed his wind tunnel. The demon shrieked in rage and thrashed angrily, its tail knocking over various trees. The demon was putting up a remarkably good fight. It fought against the wind furiously, driven by its desire for the Shikon Jewel. It quickly slithered around Miroku and after Kagome. Cursing, Miroku wrapped the beads over his wind tunnel before following the centipede. He could only hope that he wouldn't be too late.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kagome panted as she ran in a random direction, trying to put as much distance between that demon and her as possible. Branches cut her as she ran through brambles, but she ignored the feeling of blood trickling down her legs and arms. She hated this feeling. She hated running away from her problems, but she didn't want to get in Miroku's way. She was naturally clumsy and felt that she would only make the situation worse. A shriek from behind her let her know that the centipede demon had ignored Miroku and chased after her instead.  
  
The situation had just gotten worse.  
  
She winced as her shirt ripped down the middle, almost completely falling off. Her feet flew out from under her as a root appeared in her path, causing her to go sprawling into a clearing that looked suspiciously familiar. Her eyes fell upon the Goshinboku and the boy pinned to it.  
  
'Oh God,' she groaned mentally. 'As if things couldn't get worse, now I'm going to die in front of a smart-assed hanyou that claims I smell bad. Life was good while it lasted, I suppose. . .'  
  
Kagome closed her eyes tightly as she felt the centipede demon's tail wrap around her body and lift her off of the ground. She felt herself grow faint as her breathing was constricted. Surely her ribs would crack any second now. . .  
  
'I really don't want to die right now. . .I wish someone. . .anyone. . .please help me. . .'  
  
The demon howled in pain as Kagome glowed with a bright pink light, illuminating the area and blinding Miroku who had just entered the clearing. Kagome fell to the forest floor; mercifully unconscious, and landed with a sickening thud.  
  
Inuyasha, who had been asleep during the confrontation, felt a comforting warmth surround him and opened his eyes sleepily. The arrow pinning him to the tree pulsed, as if it had a life of its own before disappeared. The hanyou fell to the ground and looked down at his chest numbly. He felt no pain, and no blood stained his chest. His claws were flexed, and he rose on wobbly legs that hadn't been used for fifty years.  
  
A smirk crossed his face slowly, and he met the eyes of the horrified monk across the clearing.  
  
After fifty years, Inuyasha, the hanyou who had decimated an entire village, was free.  
  
And the first thing on his agenda was to kill that stupid centipede demon that was giving him a killer migraine with all of its shrieking. It was done with a few quick slashes of his claws. He grinned in sadistic glee at the blood that stained his hands. It had been so long since he felt this *alive.*  
  
Being as inconspicuous as possible, Miroku crept to Kagome's side and rolled her onto her back as carefully, being mindful of any wounds she might have attained.  
  
She was not in good shape. Cuts marred her legs and arms from the branches she had scraped against, and there were a few on her face as well. Her ankle was swollen from when she had fallen, and he was pretty sure her ribs would be slightly bruised from when the demon had tried to suffocate her.  
  
Of course he had bigger problems to worry about at the moment. Like the fact the Inuyasha had remember that they were in the clearing and was walking towards them with a very frightening grin on his face. He stopped right in front of the couple and sneered down at Miroku.  
  
"Give me the Shikon now, and I *might* not kill you."  
  
Miroku edged in front of Kagome nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any jewel, and as far as I know, neither does Kagome." He was gripping his staff so tightly, his knuckles were turning white.  
  
"Stop trying to lie, monk! I can sense the power coming from her! She has it! Give me the Shikon Jewel now!"  
  
He struggled with Miroku for a second before throwing the monk a few feet away. Inuyasha knelt down next to Kagome and ran his hands over her arms for a moment, trying to figure out where the jewel was hidden without having to 'search' her. Miroku returned to his position beside Kagome and watched Inuyasha warily.  
  
The hanyou's brow was furrowed in concentration, and his eyes widened as Kagome's abdomen began to glow pink underneath her shirt. He quickly pulled the shredded garment off of her and tossed it away with a snort. Miroku forced himself to concentrate on the small sphere of light on the left side of Kagome's body instead of the rest of her bare body.  
  
Besides, Mushin had always said not to take advantage of unconscious women. . .it was more satisfying to take advantage of them when they were awake.  
  
"What the hell is this?!" Inuyasha growled.  
  
The outline of the jewel could be seen glowing a bright pink from the outside of her body, but it seemed like the jewel was embedded *inside* of her.  
  
This complicated things a little bit.  
  
Inuyasha growled again in frustration before lifting a clawed hand in preparation to run it through Kagome's body. Miroku's hand stopped him before the claws came anywhere near to piercing her skin.  
  
"You're not getting the jewel out that way," Miroku said firmly.  
  
"And who are you to stop me, monk?" Inuyasha scoffed.  
  
"Think of it this way, Inuyasha; if you try to cut jewel out of her, you might damage it. It would be better if you came with me to the village nearby to find a better way to extract it from her. Besides, I don't really think you want to hurt her."  
  
Inuyasha stared at Miroku like he had four heads. "Let me get this straight," he said slowly, "you're inviting me to a village full of humans when I can easily kill you and all of them with a swipe of my claws?"  
  
Miroku shrugged.  
  
"I guess I'll come," Inuyasha mumbled reluctantly. The hanyou stood up and dusted off his pants, waiting impatiently for Miroku to do the same.  
  
The monk lifted Kagome off the ground, though he discreetly traced his hands over her breasts before doing so. Inuyasha stared at him in disbelief causing Miroku to smile back cheekily and inquire, 'what?' innocently.  
  
"You, are one fucked up monk."  
  
"Why thank you, Inuyasha."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The three of them entered the village. The entire place was so devoid of any life, it was eerie. No welcoming lights shined from any of the cabins, and it was as quiet as a crypt. Miroku walked forward cautiously, Kagome still nestled in his arms.  
  
'How could all of the villagers just disappear?' he wondered.  
  
He wondered no longer when he found himself looking at an arrow with a very angry villager on the other end. Both he and Inuyasha were completely surrounded by armed villagers. They must have got word of a demon in the area and were waiting for any sign of an attack on the village.  
  
"Move out of my way," came an authorative voice from within the crowd. The villagers immediately parted in order to let an old woman through.  
  
She appeared to be the village miko. She wore the traditional garb along with an eye patch and seemed to radiate wisdom. Her eyes widened in amazement when she saw Inuyasha.  
  
"How is this possible?" she murmured. "Kikyou sealed you. . ."  
  
Inuyasha glared at her. "Yea, well this girl unsealed me."  
  
Miroku could have sworn that the woman's eyes were popping out of her head when she saw Kagome.  
  
"Sister. . ."  
  
The villagers were also shocked at Kagome's appearance, a few of them also mumbling about Kikyou. Miroku felt a twinge of annoyance on Kagome's behalf. She was not this Kikyou, and she shouldn't be seen as anyone else but herself.  
  
Kaede gestured for the villagers to lower their weapons before commanding Inuyasha and Miroku to follow her into a nearby hut.  
  
Once inside, Kaede prepared an herbal remedy for Kagome's injuries while Miroku explained the young girl's situation. Kaede stated that the resemblance between Kikyou and Kagome was more than mere coincidence and that Kagome was probably Kikyou's reincarnation. That would explain why the Shikon was embedded inside her. Inuyasha had probably been freed when Kagome unintentionally wished for it.  
  
While Kagome was patched up and explanations were given, Inuyasha sat in the corner sulking, though he occasionally glanced over at Kagome.  
  
Kagome certainly looked enough like Kikyou to be her reincarnation, but personality wise they were polar opposites.  
  
'Maybe this Kagome girl wouldn't be so bad if I got to know her. . .'  
  
Inuyasha squashed that thought quickly. The last time he had tried to get to know someone, he had ended up pinned to a tree for fifty years. He was better off stealing the Shikon Jewel and becoming a full demon instead of trying to befriend a human.  
  
Friendships only led to pain and betrayal. . .  
  
"You say this girl came from the future, passing to our time through the Bone Eater's Well?" Kaede asked Miroku.  
  
Miroku nodded his assent. "And when she tried to get back home before, it wouldn't let her through."  
  
The old woman sat in deep thought. "There is a monk in the next village that knows much more magic than I do. If anyone knows why the well is refusing to let the girl through, it is that man. The village is about a day's walk from here."  
  
"Thank you Lady Kaede, we'll set out first thing in the morning. Will you be joining us, Inuyasha?"  
  
Said hanyou looked up, startled. He hesitated for a moment, contemplating his answer while studying the peacefully sleeping girl on the floor.  
  
"Yea. . .count me in."  
  
A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, but I just wanted to get another one out before school starts again, which is relatively soon, much to my dismay. *sighs wearily* If you have any question, compliments, criticisms, or flat-out insults, feel free to leave a review. 


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